The Right to Life

Aedan Lee Barb, 12 weeks. A precious life.

I don't usually get political on places like Facebook and such, mainly because I have friends on both sides of every issue and I'd like to keep them and not argue. However, I saw a book today at B&N that, combined with that awesome video floating around Facebook (check out my profile if you want to see it), really got me going on the topic that is closest to my heart. And I am very passionate about it, so I will not apologize if I offend you. If you're offended, stop reading because it will probably only get "worse" as I keep going. The book was called "Un-Planned".

Here's the Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Unplanned-Dramatic-Planned-Parenthood-Eye-Opening/dp/1414339399/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1296172494&sr=1-1

I read the cover and flipped through a couple pages and, without having to read much, got that painful feeling in the chest I get everytime I know I'm going to bawl my eyes out. This is a book I would NEVER read, even though I'm sure it's superb, simply because I would cry the whole way through it and, as most of you know, I don't read books that make me cry, with the exception of Little Women.

So this post is about why I am pro-life. Why I think abortion is murder. And why I believe those who are pro-choice need to open their eyes and see the LIFE that is right in front of them. And as I said above, no apologies. This is my blog and since, thankfully, I live in the USA I can say whatever I want. If you don't agree, you don't have to read it. But I hope you do, because I believe what I am writing to be Truth. So here it goes.

In the United States, we have "been endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights"..."life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". The right to life. Here in the US we have the right to breath oxygen, live out our sum of days, and die when God calls us home. That is why murder is a crime. Now let me define murder. I think we can all agree on this one. Murder is one human being killing another human being. Pretty straight forward. So my question is this. WHY is abortion NOT murder?

The answer for some is that a fetus is either not a human being or part of the mother so that if the MOM decides to end it's life it's not actually murder. In many states, if not the entire US, I'm not sure, if someone ELSE kills a pregnant woman it counts as the murder of TWO human beings. Yet, for some reason, if the mother chooses to end the life of the fetus, it is her "right".

So the question becomes, when does life begin? Some Christians argue conception. I'm one of them. It makes scientific sense. However, let's leave that one out for a second and go for a really easy one. How about life begins when there is a heartbeat? That makes sense. The argument against that is that a baby cannot live apart from the mother. But how does that make any more sense--a baby is not "alive" or "a human being" until 28-34ish weeks when it can technically live, albiet with support, outside of the mother? What about the fact that, even though the baby is dependant on the mother to life, it has all 5 fingers, all five toes, a heartbeat, a working brain, REM sleep (possibly dreams--I think baby's dream of Heaven personally--working organs, even fingernails and hair?

The reason why pro-choice people do not want the fetus to be recognized as a living being when the heart starts beating is clear. Most little hearts start beating when the baby is THREE WEEKS OLD. Around 22 days gestation. I think I might have just found out I was pregnant at 22 days, and that's because I was paying close attention. I would feel it was a safe bet to say most abortions happen AFTER 22 days.

In the book Unplanned, the author writes about how she helped perform an ultrasound-aided abortion and that is what led her to quit working for Planned Parenthood. She realized the truth of what she was doing. I don't know how far along the woman was who had the abortion, but I remember clearly my 12 week ultrasound with Aedan. It was CLEAR to both of us that this tiny being inside me was ALIVE! He was squirming and kicking and flipping all over the place, even though I couldn't feel him moving for a couple more weeks. This precious bundle inside me was a HUMAN BEING with eyes and ears, a heartbeat, and all his "pieces" sewn together by The Master Craftsman.

The argument behind being pro-choice is that it should be the right of the mother to decide what to do with her body. Sure, I agree with that. I have the right to tatoo, pierce, dress, and do whatever I darn want to my body. But that small being inside you is NOT YOUR BODY sweetheart. It's SOMEONE ELSE who just happens to be growing inside you because she needs a safe place to develop into the beautiful being she is and will grow up to be. SHE IS NOT YOU. HE IS NOT YOU. They are their OWN INDIVIDUAL. They have separate DNA. Their own heart and organs. No person has the RIGHT to murder another human, whether they live inside you at the moment or not.

Then there is the issue of rape and/or incest. This is the most emotionally charged argument I think. But even that horrible event does not give a woman the right to end the life of another. If a woman does not think she can love the baby inside because of the way in which he/she was conceived, the answer is adoption. Yes, she will have to life through 9 months of carrying a baby. But when I think of all the women out there who cannot have children and want them so badly, the very idea of other women purposefully killing their children is even more heartbreaking.

Finally, there is the one I never could really understand. Abortion if the baby shows signs of a disability or "to save the life of the mother". I have been blessed with a perfectly healthy baby. I don't know how I would react if my next one or ones to come have issues like Downs or something else. What I do know is that all life is precious and I am not God. My doctor is also not God. I know several beautiful children who have disabilities, heart defects, etc. Who are we to decide who has the right to live?

As for the saving the life of the mother, I don't hear much about this one. I don't know any mothers who had to go through this, or at least they don't talk about it. But for me, my life is in God's hands. I would gladly give up my life for my baby, should it one day be required of me. Because I would rather stand in front of the throne of the Father and know I gave up my life for another than know I took the life of an innocent in an attempt to save my own. My children are my future. I live on through them. They are my legacy.

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

I want my echo to be one of LIFE. Precious, precious life.